Amplifiers & receivers

For those of us whose birthday cakes have candles representing decades rather than years, Audiolab is a name one will remember with affection.

Back in the hi-fi bonanza years of the 1980s, this UK brand all but dominated the mid-priced range. And rightly so; the original Audiolab 8000 series two-channel components were fabulous.

The new 8000 series AV kit reviewed here not only re-kindles that nostalgic flame but throws in a gallon of petrol to re-ignite a hitherto forgotten area of the multi-channel market; simplicity.  read more »

Even when the credit crunch starts to bite you really don't need to compromise in your quest for high-performance kit.

HCC auditions hundreds of components a year in a ceaseless search to find the best-performing AV gear in the land. But what kit stands out from the crowd without breaking the bank?  read more »

Panasonic has a long and distinguished history in amplification.

Admittedly, its glory years came and went with the Technics brand, but the guys behind the scenes certainly know their way around hi-fi separates.  read more »

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Marantz took the whole THX concept to heart. The technology has since been widely implemented on its AV amplifiers and receivers down the years, even as some other AVR brands appeared to lose interest in the philosophy. On the SR8002 this takes the the form of THX Select2.  read more »

In a hi-def world, is there really a place for a £900 receiver with just five channels and no HD audio support at all? Probably not, which is why the all-new T755 – despite looking conservative – is actually a quantum leap forward from the archaic T754 that it replaces.  read more »

The world’s hottest AV receiver has had a facelift. After breathing new life into the moribund AVR market with the TX-SR605 last year, Onkyo has returned with a sequel product, the £400 TX-SR606. A cursory glance would indicate that there’s little real difference between the two models, so what’s new?  read more »